Regulation of two aspartokinase isozymes in Streptococcus bovis.

Streptococcus bovis has been found to contain two distinct aspartokinases that can be separated by gel filtration chromatography. One of these isozymes elutes on Sephadex G-200 gel filtration at a molecular weight greater than 250,000. The molecular weight of the other isozyme is approximately 125,000. The earlier peak of aspartokinase activity is slightly inhibited by meso-diaminopimelate, while the second peak is sensitive to inhibition by lysine. The latter aspartokinase is not formed when the organism is grown in a medium containing more than 1 mM lysine. The level of lysine-sensitive aspartokinase is decreased during the growth cycle, whereas diaminopimelate-sensitive activity is little affected by the growth conditions. The regulatory properties of the two aspartokinases suggest that they may play different physiological roles.

Activities and regulation of the enzymes involved in the first and the third steps of the aspartate biosynthetic pathway in Enterococcus faecium.

The enzymes aspartokinase and homoserine dehydrogenase catalyze the reaction at key branching points in the aspartate pathway of amino acid biosynthesis. Enterococcus faecium has been found to contain two distinct aspartokinases and a single homoserine dehydrogenase. Aspartokinase isozymes eluted on gel filtration chromatography at molecular weights greater than 250,000 and about 125,000. The molecular weight of homoserine dehydrogenase was determined to be 220,000. One aspartokinase isozyme was slightly inhibited by meso-diaminopimelic acid. Another aspartokinase was repressed and inhibited by lysine. Although the level of diaminopimelate-sensitive (DAPs) enzyme was not much affected by growth conditions, the activity of lysine-sensitive (Lyss) aspartokinase disappeared rapidly during the stationary phase and was depressed in rich media. The synthesis of homoserine dehydrogenase was controlled by threonine and methionine. Threonine also inhibited the specific activity of this enzyme. The regulatory properties of aspartokinase isozymes and homoserine dehydrogenase from E. faecium are discussed and compared with those from Bacillus subtilis.

Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on lysine production by a mutant of Bacillus subtilis with homoserine dehydrogenase activity.

Some Bacillus subtilis mutants with different levels of homoserine dehydrogenase were described. Strains that do not accumulate methionine have a high homoserine dehydrogenase activity. Low activity was detected in mutants where cell growth was completely inhibited by 0.7 mmol/L methionine. A low concentration of dimethyl sulfoxide had a stimulatory effect on lysine production by the methionine-sensitive mutant of Bacillus subtilis.